Pennywort (Hydrocotyle vulgaris). Some species found in the Forest are generally not rare in Britain,
but with the ever-increasing drainage and destruction of wetland in Britain many are declining. Despite
the lack of extensive areas of marshland in the Forest, there are still some genuine rarities to be found,
among them Marsh Cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris), possibly an introduction, which, thanks to recent
management work is thriving in two old gravel workings in the Cuckoo Pits area. It was first
discovered here in 1933, its only known site in Essex. The Marsh Violet (Viola palustris) was
discovered on boggy ground between the Wake Arms and Sunshine Plain in 1983; again its only known
site in Essex. Marsh Ragwort (Senecio aquaticus), known from a very few sites in Essex and declining,
was present on marshy ground at Buckhurst Hill near the Roebuck as recently as the 1980s, but it may
have disappeared from this site as invasive scrub and other vegetation swamp it. The Marsh Speedwell
(Veronica scutellata), another increasingly rare find in Essex, was noted on the margins of the Wake
Valley and Goldings Hill Ponds in the 1970s. The lovely Water Avens (Geum rivale) has been found
at a handful of sites in the Forest, among them Fairmead, High Beach, along the Ching Brook and
Wanstead Park. It is a characteristic plant of marshy areas in woodland. Other uncommon marsh or
Streamside plants in the Forest include Marsh Willowherb (Epilobium palustre) found at Dulsmead
Hollow in 1988, Marsh Orchid (Dactyiorrhiza praetermissa) found at a single site near Whipps Cross
in the 1980s and Water Purslane (Peplis portula) found near Connaught Water. Buxton lists the
beautiful white-flowered Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) in his book published at the turn
of the century. However, neither Gibson (1862) nor Kent and Lousely (1951-57) report this species
from the Forest and I suspect, if indeed it occurred, it was an introduction or was recorded just outside
Epping Forest.
Pond
There are some 80 bodies of water marked on the 1983 Ordnance Survey map of Epping Forest
ranging in surface area from a few square metres to many hectares. As far as I am aware, they are all
man-made but have arisen for a variety of reasons. The Hollow Ponds, Strawberry Hill Pond, Earls
Path Pond and the Lost Pond amongst others, arose from gravel extraction in the Forest from the late
18th century to the early 20th century. The Wake Valley Pond came into being around the mid-1830s
when the construction of the Epping New Road caused the Wake Valley to be dammed. Baldwins Hill
Pond (Plate 10) came about by the damming in 1882 of the Loughton Brook. Knighton Pond was
originally part of a private estate and was excavated to beautify the grounds of the estate in the mid- 19th
century, although much gravel was extracted and sold. Other ornamental ponds include those in
Wanstead Park - the Perch Pond, Heronry Pond, Ornamental Water and Shoulder of Mutton - which
form part of the landscaping of the Park and are shown on the John Rocque map of the Park made in
1745. They were constructed probably around 1730. The Eagle Pond at Snaresbrook is also
long-established and is shown on the Chapman and Andre map of 1777. Connaught Water (Plate 9)is
another body of water constructed for ornamental reasons. It was established in 1881 and enlarged in
1893. The lake in the Lower Forest north of Epping, now surrounded by woodland, was originally
dug out in 1893-4 to provide work for unemployed labourers in the Epping area.
A few ponds were obviously created as stock ponds to water commonable beasts. One of the oldest
of these I suspect is Fairmead Pond, shown on the Chapman and Andre map of 1777 as being fed by
a stream running from the Fairmead Lodge enclosure. The stream is no longer visible, but a depression
marks its course. There are small ponds within the former Fairmead Lodge enclosure, which I would
guess were established to water the cattle and horses grazing in the enclosure. Another horse pond is
Goldings Hill Pond. It was probably dug to provide water for horses after the long haul up Goldings
Hill. Carts and carriages could actually drive through the pond as plate 8 shows.
Oliver Rackham (1978) mentions the earliest record of a pond in the Forest, a 'Hungpoole' in
Chingford in 1475. Other ponds are mentioned in the attachment roll. In 1714 a licence was granted
to Jeremy Wakeling to 'digg a pond ... within ye said fforest'. In 1770 (CAII p.103) Thomas Sabe
who owned two cottages at 'Chappel End near the Forest Gate' made an application proposing to
extend a pond here 'to make a greater conveniency for the Deer and other cattle coming to drink' and
to remove a small hill which would allow a nearby stream to run into the pond, thus maintaining its
water level. In 1794 (CA III p.7) John Laver, underkeeper of Walthamstow Walk, presented John
Harman of Woodford for making a head of water by widening the brook at the bottom of the fields
lying behind his dwelling house in an enclosed part of the Forest called the Sale. This gives us a date
for the creation of Highams Park Pond. The underkeeper reported that he thought the water would be
of benefit to the preservation of the deer. In 1802 (CA III p.54) a Miss Clay was presented before the
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